In the event that love shall fail us
by lowi
Summary: ""Maybe we should be shagging," she breathed." Theo and Daphne next to the Black Lake, coming to realizations and speculating about the future. /Placed third in The 2012 Hogwarts Games - Cycling - Track /Contains mentions of two M


_A/N: __Written for __The 2012 Hogwarts Games__, a thread found at the __HPFC__ forum (event: Cycling – track)._

_Thanks to my beta-reader __mew-tsubaki__._

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**In the event that love shall fail us**

Daphne threw another pebble on the ground, watching it bounce against the burnt-yellow grass. "You know, they probably think we're off shagging each other somewhere," she said with a lazy grin.

Theo hummed his agreement, not moving an inch from where he laid next to her with his eyes closed.

Daphne frowned. She was bored, and Theo was far too still for her liking. She leaned closely over him, her mouth hovering above his. "Maybe we _should_ be shagging," she breathed.

Theo's eyes fluttered open and his mouth twisted up in a grin. "Because that wouldn't be pathetic at all, would it now?"

Daphne feigned a pout and let her forehead fall against Theo's chest. "It would. Two best friends screwing around just because they can't get who they really want."

Theo didn't answer, and Daphne stayed put on his chest. It was comfortable lying there, listening to his steady heartbeats and just feeling close to someone else. Lately, he had been the only one to whom she felt close.

"What do you think will happen?" he asked suddenly. "You've noticed it, too, haven't you? You must have."

"'Course I have. Mum's letters are filled with qualms—it feels as though I'm in my first year again and she's freaked out over me turning evil because of being sorted in to Slytherin. Now she's afraid I'll somehow get in trouble—just 'cause you're a Nott, Draco's a Malfoy, and so on and so forth."

Theo sat up, carefully removing Daphne's head from himself so that she, too, could straighten up. "It's understandable, though. I mean, Draco has been… I don't know, I think he's involved in…_things_."

Daphne picked up another small stone and flicked it away. "He surely is. He isn't himself anymore."

"Though who is?" Theo asked softly. "There are only months left of this year—I'm afraid our seventh year here will be very different."

Daphne didn't answer for a long while, and then she turned to Theo. "I hate to admit this, but I'm actually scared as hell."

Theo smiled. "Same here. It's fun to imagine that not even half a year ago you and I sat here and our only troubles involved Terry and Brown."

Daphne let a lopsided smile appear on her lips. "Not that we don't still have those troubles, huh?"

"True," Theodore agreed, and then, as though it hit him in the moment, he continued, "Maybe…those troubles would be easier to solve now." His eyes sparkled as he grinned slyly.

"What d'you mean?" Daphne asked quickly.

"Like, say it's a war coming. Terry would surely… be more desperate, more afraid—more emotions flying around. And your Lavender, she's a bold Gryffindor—imagine her sneaking around the castle next year, because I swear she and the rest of the Gryffindors won't stay kindly in their common room, if things get more, ah, complicated next year." As a light lit up in Daphne's eyes, he said, "You see what I mean?"

"I do. Indeed I do. There will be…a more even playing field with so much in motion."

Theo laughed. "Suddenly the impending war doesn't feel as terrifying. Not in all aspects, at least."

Daphne chuckled. The twirling feeling she had found in her stomach when they spoke of how Draco, who once would have been out here with them but now acted so differently, was now completely gone—it was replaced with a tiny, anticipatory _whoop_. "Oh, aren't we true Slytherins?"

Theo only grinned, clearly knowing what she meant but letting her say it.

"Finding the pros for ourselves even in something as bad as _war_. I mean, how are our minds working?"

"I don't know, but I like it," Theo answered as the sun glittered against the water in the lake, making it look as though diamonds were spread all over it.

_Sure_, Daphne thought. There was darkness under those diamonds, depths and depths of moldy, black water, but on the surface it looked bright and shiny. Just as it would be with her, Theo, and the war. On the outside they would be clad in diamond-hard shells, which would hide all their fears. They would be strong.

Theo suddenly leaned in and messed up Daphne's hair completely with his big hand.

"What are you doing?" Daphne asked incredulously.

"Just keeping up the charade that we've been shagging. I believe I managed to nail the sex-hair look, Daph," Theo said, rising up and lending his hand to Daphne so that she, too, could stand.

Daphne huffed. "Well, _thank you_. Though you should probably loosen your tie, in that case. And untuck your shirt from your trousers." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Or undress completely," Theo answered sarcastically. "And here I thought you were into girls—but clearly you want my naked body."

As they walked in next to each other, both laughing, Daphne decided that, should the two of them survive the war that was bound to come and neither of them succeed in their seducing plans, then they would move in together. Because Theo was the only one that had made her feel really loved.


End file.
